Riverbank precinct partners bring major international congress to Adelaide

The Adelaide Convention Centre and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) have partnered to bring the 2014 Annual Scientific Congress of the International Society of Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy (ISCP) to Adelaide.

The Congress, which was in Rome this year, is expected to attract more than 1000 delegates from across the world and inject around $1.7 million into the South Australian economy when it comes to Adelaide in September 2014.

This is the first time the Congress has been held in Australia, and the partnership between SAHMRI and the Convention Centre, and support by the Adelaide Convention Bureau, played a vital role in bringing the Congress to the region.

Adelaide Convention Centre Chief Executive Alec Gilbert said, “having SAHMRI as a neighbour allows us to bid strategically for major health and medical conferences, particularly those aligned to SAHMRI’s seven key research themes, including Heart Health.

“SAHMRI will be the host and develop the scientific program for the Congress, while the Centre will look after all the event logistics, services and physical hosting requirements,” said Mr Gilbert.

“Bringing the Congress to Adelaide is an example of the benefits brought about by co-locating organisations in the Riverbank Precinct able to collaborate for the benefit of the state.”

“SAHMRI is a key strategic partner in our bid to attract more international medical events to an expanded Adelaide Convention Centre.

“The Centre’s increased capacity and unique technology capabilities will allow us to bid for much bigger events, particularly international congresses and conferences.”

The Congress bid has been led by SAHMRI Heart Foundation Heart Health Theme Leader Professor Stephen Nicholls, who will chair the Congress.

Professor Nicholls returned home to Adelaide in 2012 after a prestigious international career, most recently at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States, to establish the cardiovascular research program at SAHMRI.

Professor Nicholls said that SAHMRI will play a major role in the translation of discoveries of the mechanisms that promote cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia.

“As the prevalence of cardiovascular disease rises throughout the Asia-Pacific region, it has become increasingly critical to bring important scientific meetings such as the Congress to the region,” Professor Nicholls said.

“SAHMRI is delighted to be the scientific host in partnership with the Adelaide Convention Centre for this meeting.

“It is vital to the future of South Australia’s health and medical research capabilities that we continue to host and attract national and international conferences to Adelaide, and this is why SAHMRI’s strategic partnership with the Adelaide Convention Centre is so important.

“The ability to bring international meetings, such as the 2014 Congress, to Adelaide, helps to further put us on the map and means that SAHMRI is ready for business as a global leader in the field of health and medical research.

“It is also the perfect opportunity to showcase Adelaide’s outstanding research talent and world-class facilities to international visitors.”

The 2014 Annual Scientific Congress of the International Society of Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on September 15 and 16, 2014.